TY - JOUR

T1 - Cenozoic upper mantle flow history of the Atlantic realm based on Couette/Poiseuille models

T2 - Towards paleo-mantle-flowgraphy

AU - Wang, Zhirui Ray

AU - Stotz, Ingo L.

AU - Bunge, Hans-Peter

AU - Vilacís, Berta

AU - Hayek, Jorge N.

AU - Ghelichkhan, Sia

AU - Lebedev, Sergei

N1 - Publisher Copyright: © 2023 The Authors

PY - 2023

Y1 - 2023

N2 - Mantle convection is a fundamental process in the Earth's system, yet its history remains poorly known. Sophisticated inverse geodynamic Earth models are available to retrodict past mantle states, but their high computational cost and complex parameterizations limit their ability to isolate key effects and interpret simulated paleo-mantle-flow patterns. This calls for an approach to conceptualize paleo-mantle-flow at a simple analytical level. The existence of weak asthenosphere allows one to formulate a Couette/Poiseuille model of upper mantle flow, where flow is linked to movements of overlying tectonic plates, and to lateral pressure gradients induced by rising plumes and sinking slabs. Here we present results from such models for the Atlantic realm in the Cenozoic, and link them to seismically inferred anisotropy along with mantle flow retrodictions from inverse geodynamic modeling. Our analytical paleo-mantle-flow indicates that (1) material sourced by plumes is carried towards slab locations, as expected, (2) it is broadly consistent with the orientation of seismic azimuthal anisotropy, and (3) it agrees with the large-scale flow patterns and amplitudes from mantle flow retrodictions. Our results suggest using a hierarchy of models together with growing geological constraints on past plate motions and dynamic topography to gain a better understanding of paleo-mantle-flow.

AB - Mantle convection is a fundamental process in the Earth's system, yet its history remains poorly known. Sophisticated inverse geodynamic Earth models are available to retrodict past mantle states, but their high computational cost and complex parameterizations limit their ability to isolate key effects and interpret simulated paleo-mantle-flow patterns. This calls for an approach to conceptualize paleo-mantle-flow at a simple analytical level. The existence of weak asthenosphere allows one to formulate a Couette/Poiseuille model of upper mantle flow, where flow is linked to movements of overlying tectonic plates, and to lateral pressure gradients induced by rising plumes and sinking slabs. Here we present results from such models for the Atlantic realm in the Cenozoic, and link them to seismically inferred anisotropy along with mantle flow retrodictions from inverse geodynamic modeling. Our analytical paleo-mantle-flow indicates that (1) material sourced by plumes is carried towards slab locations, as expected, (2) it is broadly consistent with the orientation of seismic azimuthal anisotropy, and (3) it agrees with the large-scale flow patterns and amplitudes from mantle flow retrodictions. Our results suggest using a hierarchy of models together with growing geological constraints on past plate motions and dynamic topography to gain a better understanding of paleo-mantle-flow.

KW - Couette/Poiseuille flow

KW - Geodynamic retrodiction

KW - Global geodynamics

KW - Hiatus maps

KW - Mantle convection

KW - Seismic anisotropy

U2 - 10.1016/j.pepi.2023.107045

DO - 10.1016/j.pepi.2023.107045

M3 - Journal article

AN - SCOPUS:85159610238

VL - 340

JO - Physics of the Earth and Planetary Interiors

JF - Physics of the Earth and Planetary Interiors

SN - 0031-9201

M1 - 107045

ER -